


Ever At Your Side

by XProSkeith



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Ending, Canon Rewrite, Final Fantasy XV Spoilers, Fix-It, Gen, Noctis Lives, Rewrite, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2019-01-03 21:15:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12154953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XProSkeith/pseuds/XProSkeith
Summary: [MAJOR ENDING SPOILERS - This is an alternate ending to the game!]Noctis, weary from his battle with Ardyn, finally takes his seat on the Lucian throne in the rubble of the Citadel. He knows he must make one last sacrifice and he's made his peace with it. But his friends haven't. They won't let him face this alone.





	Ever At Your Side

**Author's Note:**

> One final warning in case you didn't catch it: MAJOR ENDING SPOILERS.
> 
> You have been warned. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy it.

Noctis ascended the stairs slowly, making his way towards the throne. He was beaten and weary from the fight with Ardyn, but he pressed on, knowing he had to fulfill his final duty as king. As he reached the throne, he let his hand gently sweep across the arm rest. He smiled solemnly, remembering seeing his father on the throne. Now it was his turn. He took his seat on the throne, pausing for just one more moment to reflect on his friends and their time together.

"I love you all," said Noctis, his voice cracking for a moment. "Luna... You guys... Dad... The time we had together, I cherish."

Noctis closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was ready now. The ring on his hand had already begun to glow.

"Kings of Lucis," said Noctis, raising his head as he opened his eyes. "Come to me!"

He stabbed his father's sword into the floor in front of him as he called upon the kings of old. Their royal arms appeared in a circle before Noctis, made of shimmering blue and white energy. No sooner had the royal arms appeared, the spirits of the kings materialized. Each spirit took hold of his respective royal arm and rose to be on level with Noctis on his throne. Each spirit was enormous and made of the same blue and white energy as the royal arms. Their features were obscured by the heavy armor in which they were clad. Noctis braced himself for what was to come, but then a voice rang out, echoing in the ruined throne room.

"Quite impressive, Majesty," said Ignis casually as he strolled into the throne room as if this were normal.

"They really are something," added Gladio, walking alongside Ignis.

"Yeah, dude! They look really cool! And really scary!" chimed in Prompto from Ignis' other side.

Noctis looked at his friends as they approached him, climbing the stairs. He was dumbfounded. What were they doing here? He had just bid them farewell before coming here.

"What're you guys doing here?" demanded Noctis. "We already said our goodbyes. You need to go. I have to finish this. It's my duty as king."

"Well, I'm glad you're taking your duty so seriously, Highness," smirked Gladio.

"But, y'know, we got to thinking," said Prompto. "And we changed our minds."

"About what?" asked Noctis, still confused.

"About letting you do this alone," replied Ignis.

"Ignis, you know I'm the only one who can do this," sighed Noctis. "You know what I have to do."

"And that's exactly why we're here!" said Prompto with a grin. "We can't let you do this alone."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but-" started Noctis.

"We are members of the crownsguard, sworn protectors of the king of Lucis," interrupted Gladio. "It is our duty to watch over and protect the king. Even at the cost of our own lives."

"But-," tried Noctis.

"Moreover, we're your friends," continued Gladio.

"And that's why we'll always be ever at your side!" declared Prompto.

"Precisely," agreed Ignis.

Noctis felt the tears welling up in his eyes. He couldn't help it. His friends refused to leave his side even when he told them that they had to, even though they knew he had to die. What had he done to deserve such an amazing group of friends? It hurt so much to leave them behind.

"I know," said Noctis slowly, trying to hold back his tears. "But you still can't stop this. I still have to die to bring back the light and stop Ardyn for good."

"Noct, you should know me better than that," said Ignis. "I have a plan, of course."

"What could you possibly have planned to change this?" asked Noctis.

"It's as Gladio said," replied Ignis. "We are members of the crownsguard. We are sworn to protect the king at all costs. Like it or not, we are bound to you, Noct. And that bond is only made stronger by our friendship."

"What're you saying?"

"I'm saying that we are bound to you. The price of defeating Ardyn is your life, yes? But what if that cost could be divided? Say by four?"

Noctis' eyes widened as he realized what Ignis was proposing.

"The price is the life of the king of Lucis, not his crownsguard" said Noctis.

"We're an extension of you!" countered Gladio. "Essentially, we're a part _of_   you."

"And that's exactly why this will work," said Ignis, nodding in agreement.

"Even if that's possible, I can't ask you to do that," said Noctis, shaking his head. "You all deserve to live full and happy lives."

"And what makes you think our lives will be happy without you in it?" asked Prompto.

Noctis didn't have anything to say to that. He knew they'd be hurting with him gone.

"Besides, you're not asking us," said Gladio. "We're volunteering."

"That's right," agreed Ignis.

"Like it or not, you're stuck with us til the very end, Noct," added Prompto, a grin crossing his face once more.

Noctis looked up at his three friends standing before him. He couldn't help but smile. He knew there was no way to change their minds. Even if it wouldn't work as Ignis planned, they wouldn't leave his side. They were determined to finish it the same way that they started it. Together.

"Alright then," nodded Noctis. "Please, my crownsguard, my friends, help me."

"Thought you'd never ask, Highness," grinned Gladio.

"As you wish, Majesty," answered Ignis, nodding at Noctis.

"Of course, dude!" exclaimed Prompto.

The three of them moved to take their places around Noctis. Gladio, the king's shield, took a knee directly in front of Noctis, his foot touching Noctis'. Ignis, the king's adviser, stood on Noctis' right, placing his hand on Noctis' shoulder. Prompto, the king's best friend, stood on Noctis' left and placed his hand on Noctis' other shoulder. As each of them touched Noctis, he felt a surge of warmth and energy. The ring began to glow even brighter with their added presence. The spirits of the old kings remained suspended in the air, silently waiting.

"On your mark, Noct," said Ignis, gently squeezing Noctis' shoulder.

"Right," nodded Noctis. "It's time to end this. I'm sorry it took so long, but I'm ready now. No... _We're_ ready now."

The three friends nodded in agreement.

Noctis took a deep breath and, once again, said, "Kings of Lucis, come to me!"

The ever silent and immobile spirits began to move. One by one they raised their weapons and charged at the group, slamming into them and disappearing one by one. The group recoiled after each hit. It felt like each of them had been run through with the weapon that each spirit held and it was taking a toll. Nevertheless, Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto never wavered and never let go of Noctis. Noctis managed to keep a loose grip on his father's sword. Only one spirit remained. Noctis' father.

The final spirit appeared in front of them. He hovered there, unmoving.

"Dad... Trust in me," said Noctis. "Trust in us."

The spirit reached forward and pulled the sword from the ground in front of Noctis. The sword turned from its original corporeal form to the blue and white energy of the other royal arms. After another moment of hesitation, the spirit charged the group, colliding with them before disappearing like the others. Pain ripped through the four friends, far worse than any of the other spirits. It truly felt like they might die. A moment later, they blacked out.

* * *

The four friends opened their eyes to find themselves suspended in space, surrounded by beautiful rainbow auroras. Ardyn stood a short distance away. He smirked at the band of friends and mockingly bowed to Noctis, making sure to be as over the top as possible.

"I see the king couldn't handle it on his own," mocked Ardyn. "You had to bring your little crownsguard along with you. Pity. They didn't have to die, too."

"We came here by our own choice," growled Gladio.

"Yeah!" shouted Prompto. "We weren't gonna leave Noct behind to do this alone!"

"He is the chosen king," laughed Ardyn. "It is his duty and destiny to face this alone. He doesn't need any of you."

"Pay him no mind," said Ignis dismissively. "Even a blind man can see he is beyond desperate."

Ardyn's face twisted in anger at Ignis' words. The blackness of the starscourge began to creep across his face, further distorting it.

"Me? Desperate?!" retorted Ardyn indignantly. "No, far from it. Let us see who will be victorious here."

"Yeah," said Noctis. "Let's end this."

Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto took their positions around Noctis, just as they had in the throne room. Noctis extended his right hand with his ring towards Ardyn. Ardyn charged at the group, stretching out his arm in response. The starscourge swirled down his arm.

Suddenly, Lunafreya appeared in front of Ardyn, bathed in a golden light and wrapped in her white robes. She gently placed her hands on Ardyn's outstretched arm. The light surrounding her began to spread down Ardyn's arm. Ardyn shook his arm, flinging Lunafreya off, and let out a demonic roar. The light continued to spread throughout his body as he howled.

"It's time, Noctis," said Lunafreya.

"Yeah," nodded Noctis.

"We're right here with you, Noct," said Ignis. "We won't let you fall."

"Damn right we won't!" exclaimed Gladio.

"We've got your back, buddy," said Prompto, slapping Noctis on the back. "Let's finish this once and for all."

Noctis nodded. He could feel the warmth of his friends love for him. He could feel the strength of their conviction. He was so proud of them and so glad to call them his friends.

A brilliant white light erupted from the ring on Noctis' outstretched hand. Noctis' eyes began to glow purple as the power of the crystal surged through him. Pain ripped through Noctis' back and he could tell that his friends felt it, too. Slowly, the royal arms of the old kings of Lucis began to emerge from Noctis' back. Noctis let out another cry of pain and relief as the last of the royal arms emerged from his back. Noctis nearly collapsed, but his friends supported him, allowing him to remain standing.

From each of the royal arms, the spirit of its respective king appeared. They seized their weapons and brandished them against their enemy, Ardyn. Noctis let out a battle cry as he thrust his hand with the ring forward. Following his command, the spirits of the old kings of Lucis charged at Ardyn. One after another, they ran their weapons through him. Ardyn barely made a sound before shattering into thousands of shards of light.

With the battle over and its power spent, the ring's light faded to nothing and the ring itself began to disintegrate. Lunafreya approached them, a warm and brilliant smile on her face.

"You did it, Noctis. Just like I always knew you would,"said Lunafreya. "I'm so proud of you. Of all of you."

"Aww. Gee. Thanks, Lady Lunafreya," said Prompto bashfully.

"What's more is you seem to have found a way around the blood price that the six said was required," said Lunafreya. "I assume Ignis had something to do with that."

"Insightful as ever, Lady Lunafreya," replied Ignis, casually adjusting his glasses.

"There isn't much time though," continued Lunafreya. "This is the Beyond. The afterlife. The living have no place here."

"If only the dead can come here, then how're we here?" asked Noctis.

"You split the cost of the blood price between the four of you," answered Lunafreya. "You each sacrificed a quarter of your lifespan. And that was barely enough. Instead of dying, you were all pushed to the brink of death, allowing you just enough time to come here and destroy Ardyn for good. That time is nearly up. When the ring is fully gone, you will go with it."

"Luna... I-" started Noctis.

"Shh. It's okay, Noctis," said Lunafreya softly. "My death was not your fault and I know you love me and always will. I'm so glad I was able to help you fulfill your destiny."

Noctis fought back his tears and simply nodded at what she said. He couldn't muster a verbal response. Lunafreya turned to face Ignis.

"Before you leave, I have a gift for you, Ignis," said Lunafreya. "A thank you for always taking care of Noctis and guiding him along his journey."

Lunafreya placed her hands on Ignis' temples. A golden light engulfed Ignis' head. The scars around his eyes receded until they were completely gone. The light faded as Lunafreya removed her hands from Ignis' temples. Ignis let out a small gasp of surprise.

"I... I can see again!" said Ignis in shock.

"What? How is that possible?" asked Gladio.

"In this realm, my healing abilities are enhanced," answered Lunafreya. "It was the least I could do. You received that injury because of me and Noctis. I had to make it right."

"I never blamed either of you for that," said Ignis. "Nevertheless, thank you, Lady Lunafreya. I am incredibly grateful for this gift."

"I'm glad!" said Lunafreya, a broad smile spreading across her face. "But now it's time for you to go."

Noctis looked down at his ring and realized that only a few fragments of the band remained. Lunafreya was right; they were almost out of time.

Lunafreya pulled Noctis into a tight embrace.

"I love you, Noctis, and I always will," said Lunafreya. "I pray that it will be quite some time before I see you again. Don't worry though. I'll be waiting for you. And remember: I am always with you. Now, go. Our people need you."

Noctis squeezed Lunafreya tight to him and said, "Thanks for everything. I love you, too, Luna. And I didn't get to say it last time, so I'll say it now. Goodbye, Luna."

Luna separated from Noctis enough so that they could see each others faces. There were tears in her eyes, threatening to overflow at any moment.

"Goodbye, Noctis," said Lunafreya.

The last piece of the ring disappeared and everything went white for the four friends.

* * *

Noctis' eyes fluttered. As he regained consciousness, he realized that he was back in the throne room. The ring was gone from his right hand. His father's sword was gone as well. He looked around him and saw Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto all beginning to wake up. His body hurt, but he was still alive and so were his friends.

"Everyone okay?" asked Gladio as he stood.

"No worse for wear," replied Ignis casually.

"Everything hurts," answered Prompto. "I'm alive, but everything hurts."

"Sounds like you're fine then," chuckled Gladio.

Noctis smiled and said, "Glad to see you're all okay."

Something caught Noctis' eye. It was a bright light. It took Noctis a second to process what it was: sunlight.

"Guys, we did it," said Noctis.

The others looked up at the sunlight pouring in through the many holes in the ceiling and walls of the throne room. The never-ending night was over and light had returned to the world.

"Huh. We really did it," mused Gladio.

"Of course we did," said Ignis.

Noctis looked at Ignis, remembering what Lunafreya had done for him in the Beyond. He couldn't see any scars on Ignis' face.

"Ignis, can you see?" asked Noctis gently.

"Yes, Majesty," replied Ignis with a small smile as he adjusted his glasses. "It would appear Lady Lunafreya's efforts were not in vain. I can see just as well as I used to."

"For real?! That's so awesome, Iggy!" exclaimed Prompto.

"I thought you were in pain," prodded Gladio.

"I mean, yeah, but this is exciting news!" retorted Prompto.

"Indeed," said Ignis. "I assure you, no one is happier about this than I."

"Classic Ignis," laughed Gladio.

Noctis smiled, allowing himself a moment to reflect while his friends carried on. His friends were all alive and happy and so was he. Their lifespans had been shortened, but they would still get to live. Noctis knew that there was a long road ahead for not only his country, but the entire world. He couldn't imagine having anyone else by his side.

"Well, guys," said Noctis as he slowly stood. "We better get going. There's lots to do."

"Indeed," nodded Ignis. "The country isn't going to rebuild itself. And it's going to need somebody to lead it."

"Pretty sure Noct's got that," said Gladio.

"Yeah," said Noctis. "I'm going to lead this country and restore it to how it was before all this started. Will you guys help me?"

"Of course, Majesty," replied Ignis.

"Was there ever any doubt?" asked Gladio.

"Yep! You're stuck with us, Noct! Of course we're gonna help you!" chimed in Prompto. "You didn't even need to ask."

"You guys really are the best," said Noctis, a huge smile crossing his face. "Let's go."

Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto nodded in ascent. Together, the four friends walked out of the Citadel and back into a world bathed in light once more. They had won.


End file.
